Glories of the Storm

辉煌壮丽的暴风雨

It begins when a feeling of stillness creeps into my consciousness. Every thing has suddenly gone quiet. Birds do not chirp. Leaves do not rustle. Insects do not sing.

起初，有一种平静的感觉悄悄袭上我的心头。刹那间，万物都突然寂静无声。鸟儿不在啁啾，树叶不再沙沙作响，昆虫也停止了欢唱。

The air that has been hot all day becomes heavy. It hangs over the trees, presses the heads of the flowers to the ground, sits on my shoulders. With a vague feeling of uneasiness I move to the window. There, in the west, lies the answer - cloud has piled on cloud to form a ridge of mammoth while towers, rearing against blue sky.

整日闷热的空气变得格外呆滞，它笼罩着树木，逼得花朵垂向地面，也压得我的肩头沉甸甸的。我怀着隐隐约约的烦躁不安，信步走到窗前，原来答案就在西边天际，云层重重叠叠，就像一排嵯峨的白塔，高耸在蓝天之上。

Their piercing whiteness is of brief duration. Soon the marshmallow rims flatten to anvil tops, and the clouds reveal their darker nature. They impose themselves before the late-afternoon sun, and the day darkens early. Then a gust of wind ships the dust along the road, chill warning of what is to come.

云彩那耀眼的白色转瞬便消失了。顷刻间，棉花糖状的云彼岸变得像铁砧一样平展，云层也露出了阴暗的本来面目。它强行遮住西斜的太阳，使天色早早就黑了下来。接着，劲风骤起，一路卷起尘土飞扬。冷嗖嗖的，预示着即将来临的一切。

In the house a door shuts with a bang, curtains billow into the room. I rush to close the windows, empty the clothesline, secure the patio furnishings. Thunder begins to grumble in the distance.

砰的一声，风关上了一扇房门。窗帘也随风扬起，向屋内翻卷着。我急忙跑上去关上窗户，收下晾晒的衣服，安顿好露台上的家什。远处开始响起隆隆的雷声。

The first drops of rain are huge. They splat into the dust and imprint the windows with individual signatures. They plink on the vent pipe and plunk on the patio roof. Leaves shudder under their weight before rebounding, and sidewalk wears a coat of shiny spots.

最初落下来的是大颗大颗的水珠，扑扑地打在尘土里。在玻璃窗是留下了一个个印记。雨点把排气管敲得叮叮当当，把露台顶棚打得噼噼啪啪，树叶被砸得瑟瑟发抖，难以抬头。人行道披上了一层亮闪闪的水点。

The rhythm accelerates; plink follows plunk faster and faster until the sound is a roll of drums and the individual drops become an army marching over fields and rooftops. Now the first bolt of lightning stabs the earth. It is heaven's exclamation point. The storm is here!

雨加快了节奏，叮叮当当紧跟着噼噼啪啪，一阵紧似一阵，终于连成一片紧密的鼓点，颗颗雨滴也汇集成一支行进在田野和屋顶的大军。这时，第一道闪电刺向大地，这是老天划的惊叹号。暴风雨来了。

In spite of myself, I jump at the following crack of thunder. It rattles the windowpane and sends the dog scratching to get under the bed. The next bolt is even closer. It raises the hair on the back of my neck, and I take an involuntary step away from the window.

随即响起了一声霹雳，我不禁跳了起来，雷声震得窗户格格作响，吓得狗儿三抓两爬钻到床底下。第二道闪电离得更近。我惊得寒毛倒立，不由得从床边后退了一步。

The rain now becomes a torrent, flung capriciously by rising wind. Together they batter the trees and level the grasses. Water streams off roofs and out of rain spouts. It pounds against the window in such a steady wash that I am sightless. There is only water. How can so much fall so fast? How could the clouds have supported this vast weight? How can the earth endure beneath it?

这时，雨下的简直是倾盆如注，狂风吹得雨水飘摇不定。风雨交加，恣意地抽打树木，夷平草地。雨水从屋顶奔流而下，漫出了排水管，不停地泼洒在窗户上，使我什么也看不清楚。眼前只有水。这么多雨水，怎么能下得这么急？云层怎么能承受得这么巨大的重量？大地怎么能经受得起这样的冲击？

Pacing through the house from window to window, I am moved to openmouthed wonder. Look how the lilac bends under the assault, how the day lilies are flattened, how the hillside steps are a new made waterfall! Now hailstones thump upon the roof. They bounce white against the grass and splash into the puddle. I think of the vegetable garden, the fruit trees, the crops in the fields; but, thankfully, the hailstones are not enough in numbers or size to do real damage. Not this time.

我在房里踱来踱去，从一个窗口走到另一个窗口，屋外的景色使我瞠目结舌，惊叹不已。瞧，在暴风雨的袭击下，丁香折弯了腰，萱草倒伏在地，山坡上的石阶小道变成了一帘新辟的瀑布！这是突然下起冰雹。乒乒乓乓地砸在屋顶上，顷刻间草地上银珠纷飞，税洼里水花四溅，我开始担心园里的蔬菜、水果，还有田里的庄稼；不过，谢天谢地，冰雹个头不大，数量也不多，还不足以造成什么实际损失。至少这一次是不会了。

From this storm is already beginning to pass. The tension is released from the atmosphere, the curtains of rain let in more light. The storm has spend most of its energy, and what is left will be expended on the countryside to the east.

因为这场暴风雨即将过去，紧张的气氛缓和了，从雨幕中透出更多的亮光。暴风雨已经耗去了大部分的精力，还有一点余威只能到东边的乡间去施展了。

I am drawn outside while the rain still falls. All around, there is a cool and welcome feeling. I breathe deeply and watch the sun's rays streaks through breaking clouds. One ray catches the drops that form on the edge of the roof, and I am treated to a row of tiny, quivering colors - my private rainbows.

雨仍在淅淅沥沥地下着，我却忍不住走到室外，环境是那么清新宜。我深深地呼吸着新鲜空气，仰望着那船运而出的道道阳光，有一束阳光恰巧映射在屋檐边的水珠上，我便看到一条细细的、微微颤动着的七色彩带——一条供我个人欣赏的彩虹。

I pick my way through the west grass, my feet sinking into the saturated soil. The creek in the gully runs bank - full of brown water, but the small lakes and puddles are already disappearing into the earth. Every leaf, brick, single, and blade of grass is fresh-washed and shining.

我小心翼翼地穿过湿漉漉的草地，双脚不时陷入雨水浸透的土壤中。河谷里的小溪满载着浑浊的泥水奔流而去，但那些小水洼和小水坑里的水已渗入地下，都不见了踪影。每片树叶和草叶，每块砖头和卵石都冲得纤尘不染，熠熠发光。

Like the land, I am renewed, my spirits cleansed. I feel an infinite peace. Fro a time I have forgotten the worries and irritations I am nurturing before. They have been washed away by the glories of the storm.

像大地一样，我也焕然一新，心灵得到了净化。我感到无比的平静，一时间全然忘掉了以往郁积在心头的烦恼与忧愁。他们都已被这辉煌壮丽的暴风雨涤荡得干干净净。

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